Two Broke Watch Snobs
Bulova’s Affordable Dive Watch Gets Four New Summer-Ready Colors
Bulova doubles the Caravelle Sea Hunter lineup with four new dial colors for 2026, starting at $375. Here's what changed and what stayed the same.
Results for The 2017-2022 Vintage Market Boom
42,923 articles · 271 videos found · page 1050 of 1440
Two Broke Watch Snobs
Teddy Baldassarre
Office And Corporate Watches: A Guide For Every Budget
Some of the best watches for office and corporate environments with offerings from brands like Seiko and Rolex.
Worn & Wound
An Amateur Astronaut: How A Mark II Speedmaster Racing Reinforced My Love of Oddball Omegas
For better or worse, but likely worse, I have always attempted to be an iconoclast. When the iPod debuted, I eschewed it for an oddball Korean MP3 player, which I loaded up with nu-metal at a time when all my fellow high school students were evolving into emo kids. I shamelessly drive a 38-year old Saab instead of the Porsche that I thought I could own by this age. And it’s a mentality that has extended into my watch enthusiasm as well: whenever the perennially popular Omega Speedmaster Professional sometimes seems like one of the only watches that exists among enthusiasts and lifestyle publications alike, I look at Omega’s adjacent, oddball chronographs that were in development around the same time as the moon landing. Such as the Flightmaster: an Omega chronograph which also has an enviable space legacy, hewn from a single block of Swedish steel, same as the aforementioned Saab. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Blake Z. Rong (@bzrong) But it’s the Speedmaster’s sequel that commands my attention: once envisioned as a permanent successor to the Moonwatch, the Mark II Speedmaster is as bold as any seventies chronograph, worthy of the original’s lofty aspirations. I came across this watch at Theo’s Haberdashery, a recently-opened vintage shop that highlights vintage Americana. Think woolen pennants for the Brooklyn Dodgers, Playboy matchbook covers, turquoise jewelry and custom-rolled cigars, complete with a 1950s Dodge flatbed truck parke...
Deployant
New: Zenith Defy Extreme Ultraviolet
Zenith extends their Defy Extreme collection with the new Ultraviolet. This is a line extension to the existing Defy Extreme line.
Fratello
Your Chance To Own Apollo 11 Astronaut Buzz Aldrin’s Omega Speedmaster
In less than a week, we will commemorate the Apollo 11 lunar landing, which took place on July 20th, 1969. The first astronauts to set foot on the Moon were, of course, Neil Armstrong and Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin. The other Apollo 11 astronaut, Michael Collins, waited for them while orbiting the Moon in the Columbia […] Visit Your Chance To Own Apollo 11 Astronaut Buzz Aldrin’s Omega Speedmaster to read the full article.
Two Broke Watch Snobs
Invicta Pro Diver vs Rolex Submariner: A Hands-on $80 vs $10K Dive Watch Comparison
We compare the Invicta Pro Diver and Rolex Submariner after wearing both. See where the $10,000 price difference goes and which watch offers better value.
Fratello
Fratello On Air: Watches, Brands, And Styles We Like But Would Probably Never Buy
Welcome to another episode of Fratello On Air! This week, we discuss watch brands, models, and styles that we like but would probably never buy. To be clear, this episode isn’t about picking on anyone or anything. Instead, there are other reasons these pieces aren’t on our wrists and may never be. This podcast player […] Visit Fratello On Air: Watches, Brands, And Styles We Like But Would Probably Never Buy to read the full article.
SJX Watches
Hands On: Cartier Santos-Dumont Obsidian is Volcanic Class
Amongst Cartier’s crowd favourites launched this year is a new take on its elegant aviator’s watch, now upgraded with a mesh-link bracelet. The standout is the Santos-Dumont LM Obsidian that matches the yellow gold case and bracelet with a dial that is actually volcanic glass. This sticks to the classic Santos-Dumont template with a slim case containing an even slimmer Piaget movement, but the dial gives this a distinctly different feel from the conventional versions of the model. And unusually given the dial material, this is regular production. Initial thoughts Even though the original 1904 Santos was conceived as a professional’s “tool” watch of sorts, the modern-day Santos-Dumont is undoubtedly a dress watch, but one with a little flair. The form case and screws on the bezel set it apart from the average dress watch that is usually plain. This takes the design to another level with the bracelet and obsidian dial. The bracelet is a little showy since it is entirely yellow gold, but the links are fine enough that it still feels elegant. Similarly, the dial is high contrast but arguably passes as a dress watch. The case is compact and slim, so this still passes as a dress watch, one that is both ostentatious and elegant. If anything, I would have wished it was one size larger. This, along with the other variants of the Santos-Dumont on a bracelet, is in the “LM”, or “large model”, format. At under 32 mm in diameter, the case size is reminiscent of a vint...
Hodinkee
Auctions: Buzz Aldrin's Watches Are Coming To Auction
This story has been republished from our friends at Hodinkee Australia. Amongst the lots in Sotheby's New York's latest Space Exploration auction, I found some interesting things. In fact, I found 24 of them. Watches - all owned by none other than retired Brigadier General of the U.S. Air Force, and second man on the moon, Buzz Aldrin. The astronaut, born Edwin Eugene Aldrin Jr., has listed a large portion of his watch collection, primarily Omegas, but there's a smattering of watches from other brands amongst the spacefaring lots. It's no surprise that Buzz's Apollo 11-flown Omega Speedmaster Professional isn't present; that watch is still lost, stolen on the way to the Smithsonian after its sojourn to the moon in 1969 (and it still technically belongs to the U.S. government). Buzz Aldrin in the Apollo 11 Lunar Module, wearing that aforementioned lost Omega Speedmaster ref. ST105.012. Image courtesy of NASA There’s a range of Omegas that are meaningful to Aldrin that he’s acquired through decades of collecting, including dive watches he relied on as an experienced scuba diver and a big box of souvenir watches. There’s no denying the man is a collector and a true watch enthusiast. Bidding is open online right now before live bidding sessions begin on July 15th in New York - here are some of the highlights. Jaeger-LeCoultre Shark Deep Sea Chronograph Image courtesy of Sotheby's This is the most interesting watch in the sale that isn’t an Omega: Aldrin’s JLC Shar...
Worn & Wound
Maurice de Mauriac Releases their Latest Tennis Themed Limited Edition Rallymaster
Maurice de Mauriac has released their latest in the ongoing Rallymaster series today. The Rallymaster has become a hit in recent years among the growing crowd of overlapping tennis and watch enthusiasts, with a string of limited editions tied to the Grand Slam tennis championships. These watches, designed by Carlton DeWoody, have a real charm to them, and honestly work better than they should given some of the more literal tennis influenced design elements. The watches have always worked though because of their whimsy and a clarity of vision that doesn’t take itself too seriously. DeWoody also has a real knack for color, and has always been able to figure out the right way to reference specific aspects of the sport without it all going completely over the top. In other words, they are just fun, nice looking watches. The latest in the series, the Rallymaster Swiss Tennis, is perhaps a little more inside baseball for tennis fans (sorry to mix sports metaphors there). Revealed at the Swiss Open in Gstaad, the colorway is dominated by tones found in the Swiss flag, and the watch leans into Swiss tennis heritage and the country’s appreciation for the sport. Maurice de Mauriac is the official timekeeper of Swiss Tennis, the sport’s governing body in Switzerland. The new Rallymaster features the same tennis net inspired graphic running across the center of the dial that we’ve seen in previous editions, here situated against a brushed silver dial surface. The dial is a...
Fratello
Fratello Summer Tip: Keep Track Of Your Kids With Cybex Collection Watches
You want to relax this summer. You want to go to a nice place and chill, re-energize, and enjoy life without a worry in the world. And what is your biggest worry? No, it’s not picking the right summer watch. As always, it’s the kids. Napping on the beach, for example? With one eye on […] Visit Fratello Summer Tip: Keep Track Of Your Kids With Cybex Collection Watches to read the full article.
Quill & Pad
H. Moser & Cie: Inside an Unbrand
Everyone loves a maverick. The definition comes from husbandry: an unbranded stray calf that belongs to no one. Or a person or organization that refuses to conform.
Fratello
A Century Of Automatic Watch Movements With Fortis And John Harwood
There is a particular type of movement inside almost every mechanical watch you own, and it does something so fundamental to how we experience watchmaking today that it has become entirely invisible. Of course, that is precisely the point: it winds itself. It harvests energy from your wrist as you move through your day, topping […] Visit A Century Of Automatic Watch Movements With Fortis And John Harwood to read the full article.
Fratello
Sunday Morning Showdown: Seiko Presage Cocktail Time (38.5mm) Vs. Baltic HMS 002
Good morning, and welcome to another Sunday Morning Showdown. This week, Seiko released three new models in its Presage Cocktail Time collection. With a 38.5mm diameter, they are smaller, feature a less in-your-face date window at 4:30, and come in three color options. All in all, it’s a nice new offering from Seiko at the […] Visit Sunday Morning Showdown: Seiko Presage Cocktail Time (38.5mm) Vs. Baltic HMS 002 to read the full article.
Teddy Baldassarre
Shohei Ohtani Receives Seiko Star Time: A Watch That Can Track One Million Hours
A one-of-a-kind watch that tracks 1,000,000 hours, Seiko gifts Shohei Ohtani the Star Time watch after 10 years of partnership.
Hodinkee
Magazine Feature: Transatlantic By Design
Transatlantic by Design: From early pocket watches to the new Timer, Tiffany & Co.’s watchmaking has always moved between New York and Switzerland.
Hodinkee
Bring a Loupe: A Limited Edition Inter Miami Tudor, A Jaeger 4ATM, A Longines Ultra-Chron Jumbo, And A Pair Of Tudor Rangers
Happy Friday, Ballers, and I hope everyone's buckled in for what looks to be some excellent football (and, if you were lucky enough to catch the England v Mexico match, you've already seen some of the best ever). Scorekeeping last week's picks, the Million "Sherpa Cousin" sells on Sunday the 12th, the 18k Omega Constellation ref 2648 sold for €4218 all-in, the Sarpaneva x Moomin went for $8,800, and the Vacheron Constantin 4111 with the 'washed' dial sold for €100,000. Strays It feels like Seiko 6139s are a sort of necessary step in early collecting. They're lovely vintage watches; there are lots of them out there, and, unless you're hankering for a flawless Resist-dialed Pogue, they're fairly reasonable. This week, Goodwill has a blue-dialed 6139-6005, and it's not only in very good shape but also early in the model run, which you can tell from the 'notch' case (the small cutout for the crown) and the early Z bracelet. Photo courtesy of Goodwill. If you're on the hunt for vintage steel-cased time-only beauties, this Jaeger-LeCoultre sure seems excellent, ditto this Favre-Leuba Daymatic, or this Movado with its bit of patina, and if those aren't quite your tune, there's this NOS Tissot, serviced in 2026, which, yes, is small (31mm), but I dare you to click that link and not get a little distracted by the watch's pristine condition. Rossini's auction on the 11th is chock-full of goodies, but the ones I kept returning to were this RAID edition Speedmaster (if this ...
Fratello
Every Second Belongs To Someone: Inside Silverstone With H. Moser & Cie.
My team finished dead last. We had one job — or three, technically, which turned out to be the whole point. During a visit to Enstone, the Alpine F1 team’s factory, with H. Moser & Cie., the team ran a pit-stop challenge for the visiting journalists — teams of three, one tire, against the clock, […] Visit Every Second Belongs To Someone: Inside Silverstone With H. Moser & Cie. to read the full article.
SJX Watches
Concepto Marks 20 Years of Movement Making
One of the leading names in movement development, Concepto marks its 20th year in 2026. Concepto’s founder, Valérien Jaquet, has led the company since its founding in 2006, advised by his father, Jean-Pierre Jaquet, a fabled watch entrepreneur with a controversial history. Now a vertically integrated manufacture capable of creating and producing almost every part of a watch, Concepto is one of the rare handful of movement suppliers that have survived and prospered over the economic cycles of the watch industry. Some of its peers have gone bust, like Christophe Claret, while others, like La Fabrique du Temps, have been acquired by the industry’s giants. From left: Valérien Jaquet, Jean-Pierre Jaquet, and Jacob Arabo. Image – Concepto The company released a statement for its 20th anniversary that reveals some interesting facts about a little-known but crucial aspect of the industry — the specialist suppliers that feed watch brands with movements. Concepto remains a family business boasting some impressive numbers: according to the company, last year’s sales exceeded CHF60 million while output was some 30,000 movements, including about 1,100 tourbillon calibres. According to Concepto, its client list exceeds 100 brands. The list includes names large and small — the firm helped Bulgari set the record for the world’s thinnest tourbillon, while Jacob & Co. tapped Concepto for the V-16 engine automaton in the Bugatti Tourbillon wristwatch. Even Bugatti itself turn...
Two Broke Watch Snobs
Casio Drops Four Affordable G-SHOCK Watches With A Stealthy All-Black Look
Casio's new G-Shock Luxe Black Collection brings redesigned hands, vapor-deposited markers, and a light-absorbing dial to the CasiOak.
Worn & Wound
Interview: PS Horology’s Peter Speake is Still a Romantic About Watchmaking
Independent watchmaking is in a vastly different place than it was when legendary English watchmaker Peter Speake founded the Speake-Marin brand in 2002. While it might be a stretch to say indie watchmaking has gone fully mainstream, it’s certainly on its way–and Speake has seen that evolution from the ground floor. The work Speake did with the Speake-Marin brand was undeniably influential. While Speake-Marin’s offerings were innovative, often highly technical, and decidedly modern in aesthetics, they embodied the kind of old world craftsmanship that this sector of watchmaking obsesses over. Perhaps more importantly, many of the pieces Speake-Marin crafted with Speake at the helm were some of the first to really push the concept of watches with a narrative. They played in the space between function and art with their designs, and did so boldly. That period of his career turned Speake into something of a hero of independent watchmaking. Speake departed the Speake-Marin brand in 2017, at which point he founded an education platform called the Naked Watchmaker. With the Naked Watchmaker, Speake–whose early watchmaking background was in restoration and historical preservation–spent several years immersed in the inner workings of everything from the great mainstream brands to original Breguet tourbillions. Though he dabbled in consultancy throughout it all, it was unclear if he would return full-time to the creative and retail side of watchmaking. With his new b...
Hodinkee
Assembled By Me: Inside Studio Underd0g's Watch Assembly Experience
In 2020, watches became a real escape for a lot of us. Instagram, Facebook groups, even Clubhouse (who remembers that?) were thriving, and for me, watches had become more than a 9-5 as I fell deeper into those communities. It's where I first came across a guy on Facebook talking about a watch he'd designed that was 'inspired by a watermelon'. Every time it appeared, the comments filled with feedback as he gauged whether people were actually interested. They were. And now, six years later, that man, Richard Benc of Studio Underd0g, has just opened the doors to his very own watch assembly workshop here in the UK called 'The D0ghouse'. Roughly 45 minutes by train from Central London, the building in Maidenhead is a fusion of creative interior design and legitimate horological assembly, and anyone can experience the process first-hand. For £700, Studio Underd0g will sit you at a watchmaker's bench and guide you through the assembly of your own watch. What they're offering isn't a tour or just a showroom (they have that on-site, too), but a set of tweezers, a loupe, and an opportunity to experience the Underd0g, hands-on. That alone makes The D0ghouse worth the journey, but having just completed the experience myself, what I didn't expect was how much it would adjust my understanding of what this six-year-old brand has actually become. The Unassuming Townhouse From the outside, The D0ghouse is simply a Victorian townhouse on Park Street, the same address that Benc's friends an...
Two Broke Watch Snobs
Microbrand Dive Watch Showdown: Raven Trekker vs Nodus Sector Deep
A hands-on comparison of the Raven Trekker vs Nodus Sector Deep, covering how these two microbrand dive watches actually wear beyond the specs.
Deployant
New: Norqain Freedom GMT with a Golden Ticket dream holiday
Norqain unveils a new Freedom GMT. One of the watches will hide a golden ticket for a dream holiday for two in Ayada Maldives Resort.
Deployant
New: Norqain Freedom GMT with a golden ticket
Norqain unveils a new Freedom GMT. One of the watches will hide a golden ticket for a dream holiday for two in Ayada Maldives Resort.
Fratello
Indies Only! Dreaming Up My Ideal Microbrand-Only Watch Collection
I have a massive soft spot for small, independent brands. That doesn’t just apply to watches. I love it when people dare to stick their necks out and chase (probably naive) dreams in real life outside of the realm of big luxury groups. The results also tend to speak to me. These brands typically follow […] Visit Indies Only! Dreaming Up My Ideal Microbrand-Only Watch Collection to read the full article.
SJX Watches
Campanola Debuts Starlight-Inspired Kōjō
Citizen’s, quirky, star-struck brand is back with a pair of limited edition Eco-Drive complications — the Campanola Kōjō ref. BU0020-71N in stainless steel with blue dial, and the blacked-out ref. BU0024-02N, inspired by shooting stars. Campanola’s sculptural approach to dials is alive and well, proving Citizen’s ongoing technical leadership in the field of solar-powered watches. Initial thoughts Launched in the year 2000, Campanola is an astronomically inclined sub-brand of Citizen Watch Co., contending with Seiko’s Astron and Casio’s Oceanus collection in the premium multi-function solar quartz segment, but with a more refined aesthetic. In the last decade, the brand has branched out into mechanical watches which maintained the Campanola design language and external quality — the Kasanekyo 20th Anniversary limited edition features one of my favourite raden dials. However, some of the brand’s mechanical watches were arguably diminished by the use of generic Swiss automatic movements like the Sellita SW300-1, which was paired with a Jaquet big-date module in the aforementioned Kasanekyo 20th Anniversary limited edition. This limited edition duo is a return to form for the brand, with complicated Eco-Drive calibres that offer the full Campanola experience, as well as better value. Of course, that comes with the usual tradeoffs, namely a 14.8 mm case height. That is mitigated by the rather wide 43.5 mm case diameter, which makes the height proportionally r...
SJX Watches
Northern Exposure: Louis Vuitton’s Escale en Alaska
Louis Vuitton (LV) has taken the covers off its latest unique Escale Autour du Monde pocket watch — the Escale en Alaska is the most complicated Escale pocket watch yet, including both a minute repeater and a tourbillon along with nine dial-side animations. Initial thoughts Possibly more than any other so-called ‘fashion brand’, LV excels in creativity and world-building, which has only become more stylish, whimsical and nuanced. The Escale en Alaska exemplifies this development, and demonstrates the breadth of artistic crafts practised by La Fabrique du Temps (LFT). Translating as ‘Stopovers Around the World’, the Escale Autour du Monde collection embodies the expressive flair of a leading fashion house — something many traditional watch brands simply can’t match. Following LV’s previous Escale pocket watches celebrating the beauty of Mount Fuji and the Pont-Neuf in Paris, the brand’s latest creation has looked north for inspiration, this time celebrating the desolate beauty of Alaskan glaciers and their exotic inhabitants. Arctic artistry The term ‘fashion watch’ is often used pejoratively to describe a watch with no real watchmaking value that trades solely off the fashion name, but watches like Escale en Alaska transcend this categorisation. The Escale Autour du Monde is a double-sided pocket watch with animated jacquemarts on one side and an exposed movement with an inverted hand stack on the other. The latter is unchanged from that of previous e...
Worn & Wound
Frederique Constant Introduces New GMTs Inspired by Classic Teak Boats
Good things are worth the wait, according to Frederique Constant. Every two years, the Geneva-based watchmaker releases a new collector’s piece in their sought-after Classics Runabout collection, which represents, according to the brand, the combination of Genevan craftsmanship and Italian nautical influence. The 2026 model has been, of course, highly-anticipated; the Classics Runabout Automatic GMT represents a new chapter in Frederique Constant’s celebrated line. The new GMT model, presented in collaboration with the Riva Historical Society, brings a 42mm footprint and two colorways: deep blue and teak-brown. Both models and their aesthetics are inspired by boats restored by the Riva Historical Society, and come with a miniature replica of said boat. The polished stainless steel case features three-part construction, and a midrange thickness of 12.85mm, giving it a decently chunky presence on the wrist. Still, the larger size is deceptive, given the bezel-less design; the GMT instead features an outer 60-second track, and a center 24-hour disk, giving it a filled-out look that slims the watch down visually. Arabic numerals appear at 12, 3, and 9 o’clock, and hand-applied indexes fill in the remainder of the hour markers, with a date window nestled at 6 o’clock. What results is a balanced dial that feels both busy and calm, given the limited color pallet, with blue and brown dial options both rounded out by beige-gold numerals and text details. All hands and ind...
Teddy Baldassarre
Breitling Navitimer Automatic GMT Review: A Cleaner, Leaner GMT
The Breitling Navitimer Automatic GMT is a broadly appealing travel watch, here we review it with original photos, analysis, and price.